From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste
Published November 2021
Over one-third of the food produced in the United States is never eaten, wasting the resources used to produce it and creating a myriad of environmental impacts. Food waste is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the U.S., comprising 24 and 22 percent of landfilled and combusted municipal solid waste, respectively. Reducing and preventing food waste can increase food security, foster productivity and economic efficiency, promote resource and energy conservation, and address climate change.
EPA prepared the report, From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste, to inform domestic policymakers, researchers, and the public about the environmental footprint of food loss and waste in the U.S. and the environmental benefits that can be achieved by reducing U.S. food loss and waste. It focuses primarily on five inputs to the U.S. cradle-to-consumer food supply chain -- agricultural land use, water use, application of pesticides and fertilizers, and energy use -- plus one environmental impact -- green house gas emissions.
This report provides estimates of the environmental footprint of current levels of food loss and waste to assist stakeholders in clearly communicating the significance; decision-making among competing environmental priorities; and designing tailored reduction strategies that maximize environmental benefits. The report also identifies key knowledge gaps where new research could improve our understanding of U.S. food loss and waste and help shape successful strategies to reduce its environmental impact.
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White Paper: The State of Paper Cup Recycling
Published 1-7-2022
The State of Paper Cup Recycling, authored by Moore & Associates is a comprehensive paper that delves into the evolving landscape of paper cup recovery efforts including recycling challenges, technical aspects of material sorting and processing, and end markets utilizing recovered cups.
The white paper also provides a deeper look at the sorting flow of paper cups to specific bales in an MRF, describes the processing aspects of polycoated paper cups, addresses concerns surrounding paper cup recyclability, and contains helpful references, including MRF case studies and lists of end markets and brokers who trade in recovered fiber bales containing paper cups.
Curbside Recycling Report
The 2020 State of Curbside Recycling Report unveils strategies to help the U.S. Recycling System unlock its full potential.
For these clear, integrated strategies:
- Substantially greater support of community recycling programs with capital funding technical assistance, and efforts to strengthen and grow local political commitment to recycling services.
- New and enhanced state and federal recycling policies.
- Continued investment expansion in material processing and end markets.
- Resident education and engagement to help citizens recycle more, better.
- Continued innovation in the collection, sorting and general recyclability of materials, including the building of flexibility and resiliency to add new materials into the system.
- Broader stakeholder engagement in achieving all elements of true circularity, in which the fate of all materials in not just intended to be recycled, but that they are designed, collected, and actually turned into something new.
Some of the largest employers in Oklahoma use recycled materials in their manufacturing processes: Anchor Glass Container Plant, Henryetta Atlas Roofing, Ardmore Dlubak Glass, Okmulgee Georgia Pacific, Muskogee International Paper Company, Valliant Orchids Paper Products, Pryor O- I , Muskogee Republic Paperboard Company, Lawton Ardagh Group, Sapulpa Western Fibers, Hollis (as of 2021)
Read MoreThe State of Oklahoma, Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), is required to compile and report on statewide public entity recycling efforts as specified under 74 O.S. 85.55, the Oklahoma State Recycling and Recycled Materials Procurement Act. This program, administered by State Surplus, a department of Capital Assets Management (CAM) of OMES, includes both […]
Read MoreComments from OKRA Brainstorming Meeting (no board formed as yet) Following are most of the comments from attendees/e-mail by 11/30/2005 regarding recycling needs in Oklahoma: ADVOCACY legislation for mandatory recycling recycling incentives for businesses and communities collaboration/networking for support bottle bill more public dollars in recycling legislation committing Oklahoma to a recycling goal more funding […]
Read More2005 Oklahoma Public Recycling Program Investment Conducted by The Metropolitan Environmental Trust List of Communities Contact Sheet Budget List View Needs and Wish List NCED Property Wide Recycling
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